At the July meeting of the Cobb County Planning Commission Tuesday, commissioners voted 3-0 to hold (postpone) a decision on a rezoning request that operates a 24-hour child care facility on Veterans Memorial Highway near its intersection with Cooper will allow. Lakeweg.
The property is currently zoned R-20, a single family residential category, and the applicant, Rodney Morrison of Morrison Building & Investment, LLC has requested rezoning of the property to NRC (neighborhood retail commercial).
R-20, the existing zoning category, is described as follows in the province’s zoning ordinance:
The R-20 district was established to provide locations for single-family residential uses or
residential compatible institutional and recreational practices within or on the edge of
properties demarcated for any residential category as defined and shown in Cobb County
Comprehensive plan: A policy guide, adopted 27 November 1990.
NRC is described as follows:
The NRC District was established to provide locations for convenience shopping facilities located on properties demarcated within a neighborhood activity center, community activity center, or regional activity center as defined and shown on the Cobb County Comprehensive Plan: A Policy Guide, adopted November 27, 1990.
These convenience shopping facilities should have retail commercial uses that have a neighborhood-oriented market and that provide supplies that typically require regular purchases with a minimum of consumer travel. Areas zoned for the NRC district should be located at or near an intersection in the middle of a neighborhood activity center, as opposed to the edge of a neighborhood activity center.
Morrison introduced himself, saying the matter was held from the previous meeting of the Planning Commission to allow time for him to meet with the Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC).
He said he addressed certain security issues regarding the entrances raised by MIC. He said another issue that was raised was the available parking at the center. (NRC will require 20 parking spaces for the property. A departure will be required to reduce parking to 10 spaces).
Morrison said he modeled the center on another center on Bells Ferry Road that served 100-120 children.
The center is meant to be off-loading and unloading only, he said, so parking is meant for staff.
“And they are also concerned about the aesthetics of the property,” Morrison said. “We renovated the property, we replaced all the windows. It’s all new windows all around. ”
“We actually stopped construction to make sure we get everything done and approved. “I sent them a complete set of drawings showing all the side views and views,” he said. “And also, we sent everything to (Amy) Diaz (of the Cobb DOT) the modified plans where we change the entrance. And we are also broadening the car park a bit more. ”
He said he also sent letters to neighbors around the property, and those who contacted him were happy with the improvements to the property.
Robin Meyer of MIC spoke out against a recommendation for approval.
“We appreciate the information Mr. Morrison sent us (and) the complete set of drawings for the construction associated with this property,” Meyer said. “And before I say anything further, I just want to say that it is not about Mr. Morrison and his plans for the property do not go. But it is about the property itself. ”
“As we all know, once property is zoned for whatever use it may be, whatever the category may be, that zoning stays in place, perhaps for generations,” she said. “So at the Mableton Improvement Coalition we are always interested, not only in the current plans for the property, but how those plans and how those terms and conditions can affect the property going forward under different ownership, or even a different use than the use is not specific to the zoning. ”
“So what we have before us is an application that specifies that it will be used as a day care, we do not have a letter of stipulation. The only information we can therefore rely on is whatever the conditions are that you will attach to any recommendation for approval, ”she said. “We appreciate the promises that Mr. Morrison made, but it’s not in writing. It is therefore a bit difficult to know exactly how they will be enforced going forward. ”
“I’m sure the neighbors are happy to see improvements in this property, because certainly before Mr Morrison’s ownership of it, it was an eye-opener,” she said. “However, since Mr Morrison is on the property, it was also the subject of at least one code application charge for parking tractor trailer trucks on this residential zoned property.”
“It may one day be that this should be a commercial property,” she said. “But we are not sure that day has arrived. The property is too small for the 18 children we understand will be served here (in the) 24-hour operation. ”
The property is in District 4, so Commissioner Michael Hughes led the discussion.
“The opposition mentioned the letter of determination. “Have you drawn up a letter of stipulation that will specify exactly what your plans are and what you will be willing to do if the zoning is recommended for approval, specifying the use, landscape, parking, that kind of thing,” Hughes asked. “Did you really sit down and put something on paper?”
Morrison said he would be willing to do that.
Hughes said: “I’m a little skeptical about (making a recommendation) without an actual detailed letter of determination that I can kind of look at and evaluate before I make a recommendation to send it to the Board of Commissioners.”
“So with that, I would recommend that we keep it for 30 days,” Hughes said.
He made a motion to keep the decision, and it passed 3-0.
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